Less than 2 weeks from SVT ablation...so many thoughts!

So, I'm now 12 days away from my SVT ablation and am starting to get freaked. The last few days I've been getting more frequent episodes with very little effort. Before, I had to exercise to kick it off and maybe have an episode once a week. Now this past week, I've triggered an SVT by simply playing with my dog, walking up stairs and even yawning. :( In between episodes my chest has been constantly aching, and just feel generally fatigued and ill. My heart feels like it's pounding with little exertion, even though it's not fast. It's like my heart is always heavy. Not painful, but heavy. Does/did anyone else feel this way between episodes? Will the ablation fix and give me back my life?

It's weird that I'm not overly concerned about the risks of the procedure, but rather the "what if's" if it doesn't fix my issue. My SVT almost always converts if I lay flat on my back...will that make it harder for them to trigger it during the surgery since I'm assuming I'll be in the same position?

I know I just have to trust my surgeon, but can't help it. Only a year ago I ran marathons...and now stairs makes me feel ill. What I wouldn't give to feel normal again!

I use to get an episode every other week. The week before my ablation I had 7 sometimes more than one in the same day. Most svts are triggered by ectopic beats. The more stressed you are the more the ectopic beats will flare up and the more likely you will be to have an episode. Though there is a very good chance your svt will get fixed you may still notice your ectopic beats. I actually didn't really distinguish them from my svt until my svt was cured. Now I know the difference in what I was feeling. The ectopics may ramp up initially after your ablation because the EP will excite the heart but they will calm down eventually. Some don't have an issue but if you do just try to walk through it as best you can. Your heart will be jumpy but not to worry is what I am saying. As for the ablation itself the doctor knows what to do to trigger an episode so you really need not worry about that. They are recording the whole thing so they really only need a few second of you being in tachycardia to map the signal. It is actually good you are active right now because it could very well mean a very fast ablation. I was in and out in 2 hours when usually it takes a minimum of 3 so just hang in there and before you know it, it will all be over. Best of luck and do let us know how it all went.

The last few weeks can be tough, especially if you have to halt a beta blocker in there too. The effects can be magnified as you're pretty stressed out along with stopping the control drug. You'll be running marathons again soon. Just ask littlegreenman1. He marathons, and was out running only several weeks following his. I was skating (lightly) one week following mine. You're very lucky that yours converts by laying down. Mine was self sustaining, and never converted on their own. Only Valsalva would halt them. Be prepared for a sore groin for a couple of weeks, and perhaps walking with a limp for a week or so. I had it done on a Thursday, sayed in on Friday, and was out for breakfast and a walk around out WalMart on Saturday. Back to work on Tuesday, then drove 250 miles on Thursday, just one week later with my skates in the trunk, and I was 59 at the time. Best thing to do is keep on the forum. We'd all be happy to walk you thru it right down to the hour before you head into the hospital.

One thing about your heart acting up right now just makes you know your doing the right thing to go for the ablation. If it were behaving you might think twice about having it done and put it off. I would do it again if they could fix me. I have had an ep study done three times. No luck. They cant ever induce my nsvt or svt and that is very frustrating. But it sure does act up when it wants to. I have become a heart cripple. Like tom_h said recovery time is pretty quick. I was back to work within a few days also which I probably shouldnt have because im a hairdresser and I was on my feet way too fast, but you can only lay around for so long. My brusing the third time was the worst. I was told to rotate ice and heat. Heat helps the blood flow and brusing as ice helps with swelling. Just know that you will be in good hands and in a controlled enviroment.. I am hoping your ep study and ablation are a sucess.

If your doc gave you 90% chance of success - be 90% pumped that you're having a surgery!

I just posted on a thread about running with SVT. I have 7 marathons on my ablated heart. My ablation is my most expensive piece of running gear - I got the chest puncture site tattood with a crosshair to help me remember.

Go get it done and we'll see you on the course. Commit to start training again in 30 days!

Thanks so much for the responses. It really helps to get feedback from people who have gone through similar experiences. I'm really hoping to be one of the success stories, and like littlegreenman1 said, I should be 90% excited. I know I'm excessively worrying about this.

I've been active and healthy all my life, and that came crashing down early 2012. The very first thing that was found was the SVT, but my cardiologist told me I've probably always had it and am just noticing it now. I've been increasingly symptomatic, but what scares me is that my heart has been feeling jumpy already, and I'm fairly sure that I'm not in an episode. I'm guessing these are the ectopic beats that michellepetkus was talking about. I feel like I have a lot of anxiety symptoms since then (fatigue, muscle aches, digestion problems, tingling sensations...ugh!) I'm hoping they will go away with a successful ablation, but that may be asking much. I've gone through the gamut of tests and the only thing concrete through all of this is this blasted SVT.

I guess I'm just having a rough time dealing with being active 6 days a week, to feeling heart jumpiness after simply walking up the stairs over the course of a year. I can't shake the what if's, but I can tell you how much reading your posts has helped already. My only hope is that in 10 days (plus recovery, thanks for the heads up tom_h and wmac) I can join your ranks and provide the same support to others....until then, I may have to release some of my nervous energy here on the forum.

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